Chapter 256: Chapter 252: Preparations Before Slaying the Dragon
Dragon slaying, this is a feat worthy of being celebrated in any era.
In the history of Victory, there was a famous Dragon Slayer Knight named Saint George. To this day, the emblem he used during the dragon slaying is still incorporated into the Empire’s flag as a significant symbol.
For any knight, if given the chance to battle a dragon, defeat, and kill it, it would be something worth risking everything for.
In Perfikot’s eyes, this dragon was not considered strong.
After all, if we’re talking about flesh and blood, its towering length of just over twenty meters, although intimidating, was something that Perfikot considered breakable with a single blow.
This world indeed has entities that surpass the limits of the ordinary, but none have reached a transformative level making them invincible.
Sure, beings that surpass limits can contend against swords with their bodies. For example, old steward Foster could claim invulnerability to blades in the cold weapon era.
But in the age of the Industrial Revolution? If swords and guns can’t pierce, use cannons. If the eight-pounders don’t work, try the twelve-pounders, and if those fail, there are still twenty-four-pound cannons available. Weapons that can break defense always exist.
Extraordinary beings, no matter how powerful, haven’t reached the point where they can rival city walls in defense.
Perhaps Perfikot isn’t the finest Alchemist of our time, at least she believes there’s a huge gap between her and her parents. However, in terms of honorable warfare, having already razed three cities, Perfikot can boast being second to none.
To kill a dragon, she might need some preparation, but it’s definitely not impossible.
If Perfikot truly wanted the dragon dead, she could ignite the entire valley and burn the dragon alive within it.
She had already observed through the Eye of Omniscience that while the dragon was cloaked in a thick layer of decayed flesh giving it considerable defense, it relied on the dense hydrogen sulfide miasma of the valley to survive.
The densest area of hydrogen sulfide in the valley is exactly where the dragon roams.
Perfikot was unsure how it managed this, but considering a land creature could grow over twenty meters, perhaps there were some unique characteristics?
This sparked some curiosity in Perfikot about the dragon, so she refrained from igniting the entire valley.
After all, doing so could have wide-scale effects. She wasn’t sure if igniting the valley would also ignite the underlying natural gas fields.
As for the Petroleum Lake? Here’s a fun fact: crude oil is quite hard to ignite directly with fire.
Though its ignition point isn’t high and some crude oil can even be used directly as fuel, most crude oil is difficult to ignite under normal circumstances.
Perfikot wasn’t worried about accidentally setting the Oil Lake aflame by starting a fire.
Yet, since she abandoned the idea of igniting the whole valley, she naturally prepared another plan for slaying the dragon.
Fortunately, Perfikot brought along a considerable number of knights and Steam Knight armors this time. These individuals were eager, filled with enthusiasm to become Dragon Slayer Knights.
Perfikot had no intention of stopping them; all she wanted was the dragon dead. As for the matters of honor or accolades, she paid them no mind.
After assigning Samantha to oversee the dragon slaying, she spent her time and energy investigating the surrounding areas of the valley. Having noticed a Magic Spring on the way piqued her curiosity if the valley had more peculiarities.
In the face of Perfikot’s whims, Samantha didn’t forget her responsibilities. Unlike other knights who were dazzled by the grandeur of slaying a dragon, she kept a clear head.
She merely assigned a few White Bear knights to observe the dragon’s habits and life patterns, searching for suitable ambush and battle locations. Meanwhile, she stayed close with Perfikot, protecting her without a moment’s absence.
Although the wilderness had few threats, from Samantha’s perspective, the valley still housed a dragon. Even other creatures might threaten Perfikot’s safety, so she needed to provide adequate protection.
Though Samantha knew that if Perfikot wished, she could single-handedly kill the dragon in the valley.
Even if Samantha donned the Steam Knight armor, she wouldn’t be significantly stronger than an unarmed child before Perfikot.
Such is the imposing power of being one of the greatest Alchemists of our time.
Yet, Perfikot always displayed herself like an ordinary person, leading many to overlook her frightening strength.
Even Samantha herself would often, due to Perfikot’s normal demeanor, perceive her as a fragile noblewoman needing protection, ignoring the fact that this "frail" lady could level a mountain if she wished.
Nevertheless, Samantha never neglected her duty. She is a knight; her duty is to protect Perfikot, and whether or not Perfikot needs her protection, she must diligently fulfill her responsibilities.
"Samantha, I remember you told me about your brother. If you have time, you can let him visit the Northern Territory." Perfikot, peering through a complex pair of goggles covering most of her face, said while examining a plant on the ground.
"About my brother..." Samantha’s face lit up with joy, and she asked, "Are you really willing to heal him?"
She didn’t doubt Perfikot’s ability to heal her brother but wasn’t confident in asking Perfikot to do it.
Though Perfikot had previously agreed to heal her brother, Perfikot’s status made her hesitant to confidently ask.
After all, by rank, she was a knight loyal to the royal family, not to the Lord of the North, even though she was ordered by the crown to protect Perfikot.
But clearly, Perfikot didn’t care about such matters. She simply smiled and said, "Your brother’s injury, from what you’ve described, isn’t a big deal. However, I might experiment with some new ideas on him. In a sense, he’ll be my test subject. As long as you don’t mind."
Samantha certainly didn’t mind such a thing. From another perspective, if Perfikot needed test subjects, there wouldn’t be a shortage.
After saying this, Perfikot dug out a plant from the ground, placed it in a specimen box, and then dusted off the soil from her hands before asking Samantha, "How are the preparations for the dragon slaying coming along?"